Word Tip of the Week: Repeat Your Last Action Instantly
Do you spend extra minutes reapplying the same formatting or command over and over? Word includes a simple shortcut that lets you repeat your very last action anywhere in your document with a single keystroke. Say goodbye to tedious manual repetition and boost your productivity in seconds.
How to Repeat Your Last Action
- Perform the action you want to repeat (for example, apply bold formatting, insert a comment, or paste a Quick Part).
- Move the cursor to the next location where you want to apply that action.
- Press F4 (or Ctrl+Y) to instantly repeat the last command.
- Continue pressing F4 as many times as needed to repeat the action throughout your document.
How It Works
- F4 calls the Repeat command, which duplicates the last user action.
- The function covers formatting, text insertion, styles, comments, and more.
- It behaves like clicking the Repeat button on the Quick Access Toolbar.
- If a macro was your most recent action, F4 will rerun that macro.
When to Use This
- Formatting multiple headings with custom font sizes or colors.
- Converting successive paragraphs to bullet points or numbered lists.
- Inserting standardized text blocks using Quick Parts.
- Adding the same comment or tracked change in different sections.
Pro Tip
If F4 doesn’t trigger the repeat function, right-click the Repeat command in the Ribbon and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar. Then you can click the icon or assign a custom keyboard shortcut for one-click repeating. On Mac, use Command+Y to achieve the same result.